Paper 1 Question 5: Descriptive and Narrative Writing

Paper 1 Question 5 is the creative writing task in Section B, and it is the biggest single question on the paper. It is worth 40 marks, exactly half of Paper 1, split across two Assessment Objectives:

Objective	What it rewards	Marks
AO5	Content and organisation	24
AO6	Technical accuracy (spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentences, vocabulary)	16

The question, shown in the 2026 sample paper as a "creative writing competition" for a wildlife magazine, offers a choice of two options and asks you to "choose one". You write one piece, not both.

The two AOs are marked separately, so both matter. AO6 alone is 16 out of 40, which is 40% of this task's marks — technical accuracy is not a side issue you can ignore. A vivid piece riddled with spelling and punctuation errors loses a large share of the marks available.

You are advised to spend about 45 minutes here and to plan before you write. Because organisation is directly marked under AO5, a planned shape earns marks; a piece that wanders does not.

The two options test different skills. Both are marked out of the same 40, so choose the one you write best, not the one that looks easier.

Option	What it asks	2026 sample task
Description	Create a vivid impression of a place or scene	"Write a description of a zoo or wildlife park", with an optional image
Narrative	Tell or open a story	"Write the opening of a story about a human meeting an animal"

Description does not need a plot. Its job is to make a reader see a place through imagery, detail and a controlled focus. Think of it as painting a scene, moving the reader's eye deliberately from one detail to the next.

Narrative does need a controlled sequence and a convincing perspective, but the 2026 task asks only for an opening, not a whole story. That is a gift: you can craft one strong scene and a character, rather than racing through a beginning, middle and end.

A common trap is picking narrative and then cramming in a huge plot. The marks are in the quality of the writing, not the number of events. One well-crafted moment beats five rushed ones.

The standalone descriptive-writing and narrative-writing lessons cover the craft techniques in depth. This lesson focuses on the exam question itself: how it is marked and how to hit the mark scheme.

Because AO5 marks organisation, a few minutes of planning is time well spent. Around 5 minutes on a plan, 35 minutes writing and 5 minutes checking is a reliable split.

Planning does not mean writing sentences. It means deciding a shape the reader can follow. Two dependable structures:

• Description — a cycle or a zoom. Open on a wide view, move through a few sharply observed details, and close by returning to the opening image, now changed by what the reader has seen. This "circular" shape reads as deliberate and controlled.
• Narrative — a single scene with a turn. Establish a character and place, build a small moment of change or tension, and end the opening on a hook. Do not try to resolve a whole plot.

A three-part skeleton works for both:

Stage	Description	Narrative
Opening	The wide scene; set the mood	Character and setting established
Middle	Two or three vivid, focused details	A small shift, tension or change
Ending	Return to the opening image, transformed	A hook that leaves the reader wanting more

Discourse markers — words that guide the reader between ideas, such as "in the distance", "meanwhile" or "later" — link your paragraphs. The AO5 top level rewards "seamlessly integrated discourse markers", so use them to signal each move.

AO5 (24 marks) is about what you write and how you shape it. It rewards writing that is "convincing and compelling", "matched to purpose and audience", with "ambitious vocabulary" and "varied and inventive use of structural features".

Two strands, marked together:

Content — imaginative, well-chosen ideas and vocabulary suited to the task. For description that means vivid, original imagery; for narrative it means a convincing perspective and character.

Organisation — a clear, deliberate structure: shaped paragraphs, a controlled sequence, and discourse markers linking ideas.

The 2026 mark scheme paraphrased by level:

Level	Marks	What AO5 rewards
4	19–24	Compelling, convincing communication; ambitious vocabulary; varied, inventive structure
3	13–18	Consistent, clear communication; sophisticated vocabulary chosen for effect; effective structure
2	7–12	Some successful communication; conscious vocabulary; some structural features
1	1–6	Simple, limited communication; simple vocabulary; random paragraphing

There is one hard cap to know: if your writing does not directly address the focus of the task, the mark scheme states the AO5 mark is capped at the top of Level 2 (12 marks). Answer the actual task, on the actual subject given.

Aim to choose your vocabulary rather than reach for the first word. "The old, salt-bleached fence sagged" earns more than "the fence was old".

AO6 (16 marks) is 40% of the question and is often where marks quietly leak away. It rewards accurate, controlled, ambitious technical writing across three areas:

• Sentence demarcation and punctuation — sentences correctly opened and closed, with a range of punctuation used accurately (commas, full stops, and where you can control them, colons, semicolons and dashes).
• Sentence forms — a variety used for effect: a short, punchy sentence for impact; a longer, layered one to slow the pace.
• Spelling and vocabulary — accurate spelling, including of ambitious and complex words.

The 2026 mark scheme paraphrased by level:

Level	Marks	What AO6 rewards
4	13–16	Consistently secure sentences; wide, accurate punctuation; full range of sentence forms; ambitious, accurate vocabulary
3	9–12	Mostly secure sentences; a range of punctuation; a variety of sentence forms; generally accurate spelling
2	5–8	Mostly secure sentences; some punctuation control; attempts a variety of sentence forms; some accurate complex spelling
1	1–4	Occasional sentence demarcation; basic punctuation; simple sentence forms; accurate basic spelling

A practical route into the higher AO6 levels: deliberately vary your sentence lengths and punctuate ambitiously but accurately. One well-placed semicolon or dash, used correctly, signals control. A spelling error in an ambitious word is better than never risking the word at all — but proofreading catches most of them.

Leave five minutes at the end purely to check technical accuracy: sentence endings, capital letters, apostrophes and any word you were unsure how to spell.

1. Attempting both options

The question says choose one. Writing part of a description and part of a story splits your effort and leaves neither developed. Commit to one and craft it fully.

2. Cramming in too much plot

Especially in narrative, students race through events to reach an ending. The 2026 task asks only for a story opening, and the marks reward crafted quality, not quantity. Slow down and write one scene well.

3. Ignoring AO6

Sixteen of the forty marks are for technical accuracy. Careless spelling, missing full stops and no variety in sentence forms throw away a large share of the total, however imaginative the ideas. Punctuate accurately and vary your sentences on purpose.

4. No planning, so no structure

Organisation is marked under AO5. Writing with no plan tends to wander, and a shapeless piece caps in the lower levels. Spend five minutes deciding an opening, a middle and an ending before you start.

5. A model opening

Here is a short descriptive opening (the "zoo or wildlife park" option) that shows the level of craft AO5 and AO6 reward together:

The reptile house held its breath. Behind fogged glass, a python lay coiled like a length of oiled rope, its patterned skin catching the low amber light and throwing it back in slow, liquid gleams. Somewhere a tap dripped; otherwise, nothing moved. Then, so gradually that I almost missed it, one dark eye slid open and fixed on the glass — on me.

Notice the range of sentence forms (a short opener, a long layered second sentence, a semicolon), the chosen vocabulary ("oiled rope", "liquid gleams"), the controlled focus zooming from the room to a single eye, and the accurate punctuation. That combination is what lifts both AO5 and AO6.